Social class discrimination a serious

problem in the workplace

Posted by Richard McKenna
Unconscious bias and social class discrimination are currently posing a
threat to equality in the workplace, according to recent research by
Pannone.
A survey conducted by the law firm revealed that more than half (52 per
cent) of HR directors and managers feel that there is social inequality in
the workplace, HR Magazine has reported.
Furthermore, unconscious bias also appears to be a serious problem, with
nearly four-fifths of those surveyed (79 per cent) believing that it plagues
aspects of working life such as recruitment and promotion opportunities.
However, while HR professionals appear to recognise that a problem
exists, it seems that they do not think that legislation is the right course of
action to tackle the issue - as less than a third of those surveyed (27 per
cent) said that they believed this was the solution to stamping out social
class discrimination.
Speaking to HR Magazine, Jim Lister, head of employment at Pannone,
said that it was "not surprising" that employers were resistant to the
introduction of new equality legislation since they are still getting to grips
with the Equality Act 2010.
"There is also recognition from employment lawyers and HR professionals
that legislating against social class discrimination would be extremely
difficult," he continued.
"Historically, as each new form of inequality was identified, there has
always been some opposition to legislation. However, the fact remains
that whilst equality legislation is no 'quick fix', it does change attitudes
over time."
In 2011 the Liberal Democrats proposed a policy that would involve the
introduction of 'name-blank' job application forms after a Department of
Work and Pensions survey found that widespread bias against 'foreign
sounding' names existed in the workplace.

However, the Panone research found that just 37 per cent of those
surveyed support the introduction of these as a potential solution.
Mr Lister added: "Blatant acts of discrimination are far less common than
they once were and the vast majority of people believe - at least on a
conscious level - that everyone deserves equality of opportunity
regardless of any protected characteristics they may have."

Religion and the Workplace

Religion in the workplace can bring up some of the most difficult issues
employers have to face. Resolving these issues requires understanding the
law and balancing the business's needs with an employee's desire to practice
his or her religion.
One of the most contentious conflicts is between an employee's desire to take
time off and the potential reduction in productivity and profitability. Let's
assume there's no collective bargaining agreement that expressly delineates
the rights of the employer and employee regarding this subject. If such an
agreement exists, its provisions will govern any dispute.
The starting point for any discussion of religion in the workplace is Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In addition to prohibiting discrimination by private
and public employers on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion and national
origin, Title VII states that an employer must provide "reasonable
accommodation" of an employee's religious beliefs and practices. Under Title
VII, an employer can't refuse to reasonably accommodate an employee's
religious observances, unless accommodation would constitute an "undue
hardship" for the business. Title VII accommodation cases often concern the
extent to which an employer must alter work schedules to accommodate
religious holidays or the Sabbath.

Dealing with Absences

An employee must first notify the employer of the conflict between his or her
religious belief and an employment requirement. Without such notification, an
employer can legally discharge an employee for excessive absences from
work, even if it's later determined that the absences were for religious
purposes.
Sabbath: Several religions observe the Sabbath as a day when followers
can't perform work. In recent years, Sabbath cases that have reached the
courts have presented difficulties for employees seeking preferential
treatment. Many employees asking to be excused from work on Saturday
have been unsuccessful for a numbers of reasons. The courts have found
undue hardship to the employer because of morale problems that arose when
fellow employees resented having to work on Saturdays and because the
employer would have had to pay higher wages to fill the employee's vacancy.
Holy days: Employees have had more success in cases involving special
leave to observe holy days or attend religious activities that weren't regular
and frequent. This is because the occasional religious observance doesn't
fundamentally alter the employee's basic work schedule. However, even a
single absence can cause an employer undue hardship. In one case, a
mechanical department couldn't perform repair and maintenance. The only
employee with knowledge of certain machinery drawings took an unauthorized
vacation to attend convocation at the Worldwide Church of God. The employer
treated the employee as if he had quit; the employee alleged Title VII
discrimination. The employer's action was upheld because there was no
reasonable accommodation the employer could have made and continued
business operations.

Making Accommodations
In ruling on Title VII religion cases, the courts have held that employers aren't
required to accommodate employees' religious activities when it involves
increased financial costs, transferring supervisory personnel or employees
from other departments resulting in inefficiency, or discriminating against other
employees or violating seniority systems. Accommodations that don't
constitute undue hardship to the employer include voluntary substitutions or
employee "swaps," flexible work schedules, floating or optional holidays,
staggered work hours, and allowing employees to make up lost time.
Transfers and job changes also are options if they don't cause reduced
efficiency or other disruptions.
While technically not required to do so, an employer should always offer
accommodation suggestions before claiming undue hardship. When an
employer makes no suggestions, he or she must be able to prove that no
accommodation was possible. Similarly, the employee also should cooperate
with the employer in suggesting and accepting options for resolving the
conflict. What happens when both the employer and the employee suggest
reasonable accommodations? The courts have held that the employer has the
choice when there's more than one option.
Clearly, issues involving religion in the workplace are complex. Consider
consulting expert legal counsel to achieve a successful resolution.

Appearance in the Workplace

1. Dress to impress: No matter what a person tries to convey about his or her
personality to colleagues, seniors or clients through their work and results, still
the first impression lies in the appearance one carries with them. Once it is set in
the mind it is hard to get over with it because what people perceive is
accordingly to what they are able to judge with. So before deciding on jumping

into a fancy attire give it a thought about how the other person will see or what
the communication will be received.

2. Dress code in the workplace: Many organisations follow a strict dress code
of weekdays and weekends, along with that they have strict policies of no
visible tattoos or piercings. Every work has a certain structural requirement and
pattern to it, therefore, the dress code helps to create the first impression.

3. Respect the rules: Every organisation comes with the different set of rules.
The dress code in corporates signifies the uniformity in the system which is the
critical requirement. Not only that, it also has a psychological impact on
everyone working there to feel themselves in a similar way. While certain
organisations give freedom of choice that one would like to wear. But this is the
point one need to tread cautiously.

4. Dress code for men:

In corporate structure: Despite the fact that men have lesser options when it
comes to clothes, yet a lot is to be taken care of them in their appearance and
grooming. In corporate or business settings it is advisable to be clean shave and
have well trimmed hair, crisp shirt and trousers with polished shoes. Colors are
not to be flamboyant but simple yet smart.
In non corporate structure: In the creative field for example, in advertising,
the freedom and choice of dressing is more when compared to business
structures. But the main idea behind their appearance style is to bring out their
personality, infact the hygiene is still the core factor to be looked into.
5. Dress code for women:

In corporate structure: In business setting women generally wear the classic

business suit of skirt and blazer, in neutral shades of gray, black, white, brown,
etc. The make should be minimal and not overtly used, while chunky
accessories should be avoided and a nice light earrings will complement their
attire. It helps to create a strong persona for a woman without causing any
distractions in the office.
In non-corporate structure: Again in the creative sphere of work, it is advised
to choose your attire and look wisely. It should definitely complement the
personality of the woman without creating her being an unnecessary point of
attraction. It is essential to pay attention to avoid wearing plunging neckline and
extremely short skirt, and also too tacky accessories.
6. Grooming: It is essential not to overlook the importance of clean teeth, clean
nails and proper haircut. These might be the smaller elements of appearance
which most of the people tend to overlook, yet they are essential ones. While
shaking hands with someone with unclean nails will not look pleasant and will
give the wrong message to the other person. If any tattoos are there on the body
it is advisable to cover them up from the visibility.

7. Fragrance and body odour:

It is important to smell nice as it is another part of appearance which attracts
people. One should carry a deodorant if the person tends to sweat more or in
summers. Also using stro1ng perfume is also not a good idea since it becomes
distracting. It is good to use a mild and pleasant perfume.

8. Right kind of shoes: For men, keep your shoes polished, it shows the person
is balanced and is responsible enough. While for women, it is good to wear flats
if they are not comfortable with heels. If the footwear tend to make clicking
around on the floor it tends to create distraction in the office, hence it is good to
wear shoes which are comfortable and are not noisy.

9. Wearing a watch: It is good to wear a watch since it helps to keep one in

track with the time, and it saves one from checking the time from mobile. As

per the few surveys done, while shaking hands people tend to notice the watch
the person is wearing.

10. Tuck the shirts in: Avoid leaving the shirt out, it is best to tuck them in as it
gives a cleaner look. While the shirt out is extremely messy and gives a very
casual attitude.

11. Wear appropriate colors:

Avoid wearing loud or neon colors as it creates a distraction in office. It is good

to try out new fashion but keep in mind to purchase the dresses in subtle colors
and not flashy ones. Neon colors are not suggested to be worn in office.

12. Wear right kind of underwear: It is best to avoid wearing translucent or

transparent clothes in the workplace. But white shirts tend to be translucent
when in light, therefore it is best advice to wear the right kind of underwear and
prevent the skin show.

13. Work for the right fashion: Old is definitely gold, but that does not allow
the person to wear the grandmothers skirt or grandfathers coat. It is good to
dress up as per the standard social trends.

14. Body Language: A great body language is an add-on to the great

appearance. Body language is a non-verbal way to communicate a lot about the
person. Similarly, when working in the professional way one should prevent
from negative body language which might offend someone. It is possible that
one might not like the person in conversation with and would like to ignore him
or her completely, but a professional and good attitude is to listen to the person
intently ignoring the body language of the person.

15. Signs and gestures:

The physical gestures of hands and legs are also important while
communicating about the enthusiasm or information. A person who constantly
fidgets with hair or nose or even yawning during a meeting conveys the
disinterest in the scenario, which further makes them look casual and
unimportant in the eyes of their colleagues and seniors.

16. Spoken words: Spoken words or a conversation is a part of appearance. A

good communication is highly effective to achieve great results and impress
colleagues. Expressing anger to a colleague is not the effective way to deal with
the situation, in the cases of differences, it is best to talk about it to the person
directly with a mature attitude. Also it is necessary to understand the concerned
person in conversation. If talking to a senior authority the attitude has to be
more subtle and respectful.

17. Usage of words: It is highly advised to avoid using the foul language while
in conversation. It not only spoils the professional relationship but also is
against the code of conduct of the organisation. It ruins the impression one
would have created among the peers in a fraction of seconds.

18. Voice modulation: As discussed for the language and words, the voice
modulation while in conversation with someone is also essential. Talking loudly
in office creates a bad impression or unnecessarily speaking in whispers is also
not appreciated.

Keeping an eye on the appearance in workplace might sound ridiculous initially,

but once a person understands the benefits of it, taking care of that part wont be
an issue anymore. The goal of the company is not about the appearance but a
bigger one, therefore it is advisable to follow the rules and code of conduct of
an organisation since it is another sign of sincerity.